December 2018 | The Evergreen, Greenhill School

december 19, 2018 volume 54, issue 3

the Everything Greenhill

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An unequal balance Weighing the pros and cons of an unweighted GPA system Read about Greenhill’s response to cheating on page 10

Graphic by Sarah Luan and Michelle Liang

Amber Syed Managing Editor Leah Nutkis Copy Editor A student took seven classes, most of which were honors and Advanced Placement. Another student took five classes, none of which were honors or Advanced Placement. Both students earned a 3.82 grade-point average come the end of the trimester. Is this fair?

Greenhill uses an unweighted gradepoint average (GPA) system, meaning that Advanced Placement (AP) and honors classes are worth the same grades as regular classes. A weighted GPA takes into consideration that honors and AP classes are more difficult than regular classes, and are therefore given a grade bump at the end of the course.

“When you think about our curriculum, it really is a faculty-driven curriculum,” said Director of College Counseling Jenny Fisher. “Because of the course trajectories that different departments have chosen, there are not equal opportunities to have weighted grades. It wouldn’t help in the college process for Greenhill to have a weighted GPA.” For example, a more English-andhistory-driven student would only have the opportunity to take a couple of AP courses, whereas a science-driven student would have many more chances to take an AP class.

Also, while AP Spanish and AP Latin are

equivalent to a fourth-year language course, AP Chinese is equivalent to a sixth-year language course. Additionally, teachers design their own curriculum at Greenhill, thus there are more variables in what goes into grades than just what’s on the paper.

“A GPA on its own is a crude measurement, and it’s just the tip of the iceberg,” said Ms. Fisher. “You have to get into a student’s transcript to learn about what choices a student is making and their performance over time.”

While GPA is not the only determinant for college acceptance, Ms. Fisher said that it’s still an important aspect of the application.

“I think grades do matter,” she said.

“They aren’t the only thing that matters, but academic criteria do matter in the college process.”

Despite not having a GPA bump, many students still feel motivated to take AP and honors classes. Junior Divya Inaganti said while she isn’t discouraged from taking harder courses, she feels that there is an added pressure.

“It hasn’t discouraged me, but it makes me feel more tense because, when I get an A- in that class, it’s like a 3.67 and that pulls down my other classes’ GPAs, so it’s aggravating but it [doesn’t] compel me to not take it,” she said.

Similarly, junior Julia Townsend said she still finds motivation to take more rigorous courses for a few reasons. cont’d on page 8

“When they give high honor roll or select valedictorian, it’s not really reflective of who’s earning the top scores, because students in the easy classes are getting the same GPA or higher than students taking harder classes.”

-junior Divya Inaganti

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Features

Arts

Sports

Students debate whether dressing up for Diwali is appreciation or appropriation p. 3

A look into the past of the Montgomery Library on its 50th anniversary p. 4

The role of caffeine on campus and why students drink it so much p. 8

Lee Hark debuts reading The Nutcracker for the kindergarten performance p. 10

Freshmen take the boys varsity soccer program by storm p. 14

Informing Greenhill since 1966

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Rants & Raves the

Evergreen staff editors-in-chief Jeffrey Harberg Hayden Jacobs

executive editor Harrison Heymann

A RAVE to the hackey sack epidemic that is taking the Upper School by storm! Nothing is better than taking a much needed mental break to sharpen your hand-eye coordination. And nothing hurts like the betrayal of aiming the hackey sack straight at your best friend with a cold stare, ready to get them out. What a rush!

A RANT to getting out of school four weeks after Thanksgiving instead of three! Listen, I love school as much as the next person, but expecting me to actually learn in this inbetween space is too much. With three weeks, I did less damage to my grades. Let’s hope we can all survive until December 20!

A RAVE to the new couches by the Elliot Center! I love how the school is getting more and more pieces of furniture for me to fling myself onto as we get further into the year. As my ability to physically exist at school decreases, I begin to need more power naps!

managing editor Amber Syed

copy editor Leah Nutkis

design editor Riya Rangdal

journalism assistant Ross Rubin

arts editor Sonali Notani

features editors Lane Herbert Raag Venkat

news editor

A RANT to Greenhill’s terrible wifi that prevents me from procrastinating with all my school work! At a school where 95% of classes require an internet connection, the lack of good wifi is pretty inconvenient. Also, it messes up my Clash Royale battles while I’m hiding from Calculus in the bathroom!

A RAVE to the amount of water bottles saved on the new water fountains! If there’s one thing all students love it’s competitions, so there’s nothing like a new counter to help me take my hydration and need to save the environment to a new level. Now if we could only get the mascot changed and #savethebees!

A RANT to the rule that only allows wordless warm-up music! Although there’s nothing like some intense EDM music, it is very difficult to get into the mindset when we can’t even hype ourselves up! Music with words gets the people going, man!

Mira Jungerman

sports editor Jake Middleman

views editors

Natalie Gonchar Caroline Simpson

asst. arts editor Alyssa Miller

asst. news editor Brent Ladin

asst. sports editors Davis Gutow Victor Le

online editor-in-chief Sonia Dhingra

A RAVE to the new speakers in Cox Gym. We all know Cox Gym is the neglected little sibling in the gym family, so it’s nice to see it getting some nice things this holiday season!

Now we will be able to hear the lovely athletic announcements in real time! The student section will be as informed as ever!

A RANT to the inconsistent air conditioning throughout the Upper School. Sometimes I feel like I am in Antarctica swimming with penguins and other times it feels like the Sahara desert. Also, there’s nothing like a cold December day that is matched by the freezing Upper School temperatures!

A RAVE to the holiday decorations in the Buzz! You guys always have tasteful and elegant window displays, and this year is no different.

It’s fun to pretend I’m window-shopping when I’m actually going to get my fourth cookie dough cup of the day! So head on over and buy some delicious goodies that end up sending you into debt as a teen!

Content courtesy of Sam Bovard, Caroline Simpson, and Natalie Gonchar Photos by Natalie Gonchar and Caroline Simpson

online executive editor Mila Nguyen

online broadcast editor Tej Dhingra

social media editor Emma Light

staff writers Lola Frenkel Sarah Luan

business manager Ryan Wimberly

adviser

Gregg Jones

asst. adviser Dr. Amy Bresie

staff artist

Michelle Liang

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Two students share their views on whether or not it is appropriate for non-Hindus to dress up in traditional Indian garments on the holiday of Diwali.

Photo courtesy of Priya Singhvi

America is a melting pot filled with different types of people, cultures, religions, ethnicities and backgrounds. But are we fully aware as Americans what it means to identify as part of these groups, or do we simply take the appealing aspects and apply them to our lives?

On Nov. 7, the Indian holiday of Diwali was celebrated

by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs. Diwali is known as the “celebration of light.” Different background stories showcase the beginnings of Diwali, the most famous being the welcoming of Prince Rama back home from his 14-year exile. As he returned with his wife Sita and his friend Lakshmana, the villagers had lit diyas (lamps) to guide his way home. Thus, the annual festival of Diwali began.

At Greenhill, I acknowledge steps have been taken to help celebrate Diwali. However, what I didn’t appreciate were the non-Indian people commenting about the clothes but later either dressing themselves in Indian clothes or suddenly pretending that they appreciated the religious significance in order to be considered “cultured.” I think that understanding what these clothes mean to Hindus and Indians is more important than simply wearing a “costume” to show support.

The only holiday people dress up for at Greenhill is Diwali. I personally dressed up, but it makes me uncomfortable when I see a teacher, faculty member or student wearing Indian clothes, asking if their “sari looks good” when they are wearing a salwar kameez. It’s the little ignorant actions that build up, making the situation uncomfortable.

Although I am glad that my school is trying to observe my religion, there is a difference between privileges given to students who celebrate other holidays and those who celebrate Diwali. The same teachers who dress up and spend time “appreciating” Indian culture by wearing our tradi-

As a community that self-identifies as being committed to diversity, Greenhill needs to acknowledge cultural differences.

Diwali, a holiday observed by millions of people including Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, is celebrated differently across the world and even within Hindu populations. Across India, Diwali is a five-day festival and a brilliant occasion celebrated in varied ways. In Jaipur, people go to marvel over the illuminated markets, yet over 1,000 miles south in Goa, people go to watch the destruction of demon Narakasura by Lord Krishna.

In the United Kingdom, a country with a long history of Indians in the population, Diwali has a strong following.

Among the celebrations is an annual festival in London’s Trafalgar Square hosted by the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. The festival features live music and dance performances and offers traditional food and activities like yoga and mehendi (henna). Diwali is also celebrated at Downing Street, home of the U.K. prime minister, as well as in the

tional clothes tend not to provide extensions or lessen the workload for religious reasons; these privileges are given only to people who celebrate “more common” holidays.

However, that calls into question what kind of importance each religion holds at Greenhill. We value those who try to accept our culture, but what matters most is giving the same importance and understanding to our holidays and culture that’s given to others. There are teachers who already take our festivities into consideration by extending deadlines and lessening the workload, but in order for change to be effective, it must be widespread across campus.

I feel the same way about Indian clothes as I do Japanese kimonos and Pacific Islander leis. These cultures have special clothing and traditions that differentiate them, yet it’s common to see so many Americans and westerners dress up in their ethnic clothes to make “unique” or “cool” fashion choices. Japanese kimonos are available to buy at department stores and Pacific Islander leis are so normalized that dressing up in one is accepted without question. For Halloween, you can purchase a “Hawaiian costume,” but do people not realize that “Hawaiian” is an ethnicity? When did it become acceptable to take the traditional and religious outfits of another culture and wear them because they look cool?

For instance, if non-Jewish males at Greenhill were to wear a yarmulke for Jewish holidays, would the Jewish community on campus accept it, or would they be against it? We’d never know because this wouldn’t happen. This would be unacceptable. People at Greenhill understand the holiness of Jewish holidays because it’s so commonly taught. Yet we are less educated about other holidays, such as Diwali, therefore making these holidays and cultures more susceptible to appropriation.

What I have observed is that many people see Diwali as a flashy event where people attend “brown parties” and eat and dress up for fun. But in fact, Diwali is a religious affair and, like all holidays, it includes festivities, but it also values and cherishes one of Hinduism’s most coveted stories.

The type of appropriation I see at Greenhill stems from ignorance. I don’t want to accuse everyone who dresses up and tell them they’re committing cultural appropriation, but I simply urge that before you choose to adopt a part of someone else’s culture, you understand what it means in order to truly appreciate it.

White House.

In October 2016, the U.S. Postal Service released a Diwali stamp to commemorate the holiday. Over 170,000 Diwali stamps have been sold in the U.S., making it the bestselling stamp in U.S. Postal Service history. Canada issued a Diwali stamp in 2017, another indication of the vastness of Diwali celebrations around the world.

By buying stamps and attending festivals, I think that all these people are finding beauty in my culture, as I do.

Although most of these people may not be able to provide information on the cultural origins of each of these aspects of Hindu culture, they are expanding the spectrum of their cultural experiences to include and accept new ones. Isn’t that what we all want? As a school, we should be able to incorporate an understanding of Diwali. Greenhill has always made a point to condemn ignorance and therefore has created a perfect space to celebrate Diwali. I do not excuse anyone insulting Indian outfits, food or any more aspects of the culture. That said, I know this school does not excuse it either.

Culture is not static. Even in India, bindis are no longer simple red or black dots but are glamorous, shiny and frequently ornate fashion accessories. We can’t blame nonIndians for turning things like bindis or saris into fashion with little religious or historical context because India has already done so. Most Hindus I know would be hard-pressed to describe the detailed origins of bindi-wearing traditions.

Cultures evolve, which is why I and many other Indians have Christmas trees over the holidays and enjoy celebrating a secular Christmas.

I am in no way condoning malicious or mocking atti-

tudes. I would not feel this way if we were discussing Native American headdresses, Chinese characters and more. The problem with cultural appropriation is when the new adoption does not have the same significance it once did. It’s really quite simple: our intentions and attitudes toward cultural differences are the most important thing. Things are not as they were hundreds of years ago. Even in India, items such as saris, bindis and bangles are seen on fashion runways.

At Greenhill, South Asian parents and faculty are invited to share Indian clothing, food, and decorations with the larger school community. The religious context of Diwali is explained at community time. We all come together for a short period of time to recognize Diwali and all the families in our diverse community for whom this festival is significant.

I hope that we can continue to celebrate a secular Diwali at Greenhill. However, I think there are definitely more steps to take to respect Diwali. I hope it is acknowledged in our school calendar so that all faculty and administration can plan due dates and meetings around this annual holiday.

This way, students could be assigned less work on Diwali.

When I walked into school on Diwali, I did not feel any disrespect towards my culture. Instead, I felt proud to walk into a school decorated with diyas and rangolis. I loved the pamphlets with religious explanations of Diwali that were spread around the school. I felt respect from my teachers wearing kurtas, saris and lehengas.

Story by Riya Rangdal

Story by Sonia Dhingra

News the

Library celebrates 50 anniversary th

Photos courtesy of Tom Perryman and by Brent Ladin

PRESERVING A JEWEL: Side-by-side photos of the library in the early 70’s and 2018 (left to right) picture students reading in the upper deck area of the building. The library’s structure and design have remained unchanged over the course of its existence and community members hope this remains true for the future given the symbolic nature of the building’s history.

Jeffrey Harberg Editor-In-Chief As first period ended in September 1969, Upper School students loudly pushed their way out of the west door of the Montgomery Library. On the other side of the building, complete silence blanketed the massive room where students were reading and studying. This morning in 1969 perfectly captured the beauty and importance of the Montgomery Library.

The building was only a year old, yet it quickly had become a focal point of the campus, hosting two classes (history and English) and throngs of students reading, studying and searching for books.

Times have changed and so has the Montgomery Library. But fifty years on, the library remains an architectural and intellectual jewel at the heart of campus life, a versatile space used for everything from new-employee orientation to retirement parties, all while fulfilling its principal function as a center for learning, exploration and discovery.

“I feel the same when I walk in there as I did when I was a student,” said Susan Bauman ’81, Middle School English teacher, who takes her classes to the library once a rotation. She often sits in front of the fireplace, just like she did when she attended Greenhill. “[The library] is the one place on campus that hasn’t changed… it’s the same as it was the first day I set foot on campus in 1974.”

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“[The library] will live the test of time. That great building will be around forever, with books and other stuff too.”

That’s true in a physical sense. But in many other ways, the Montgomery Library has changed with the times, from evolving attitudes toward proper decorum to the diversity of books on the shelves and the students browsing the stacks.

Assistant Head of School Tom Perryman ’81 can attest to some of those changes.

“Libraries back in the day were these shrines,” he said. “You went in and things were completely silent.”

Sometimes, he and his classmates violated that strict protocol – and paid the price.

“I was actually kicked out of the library countless times when I was in Upper School

by Rosemary Cox, the Head Librarian at the time,” Mr. Perryman recalled, laughing at the memory. “Librarians would kick you out if they heard you talking.”

Over time, library staff have made an

effort to allocate spaces in the main room for each age group while still maintaining a quiet and thoughtful space.

“We have young kids through 12th graders that come in here,” said Head Librarian Abby Harrison. “We try to carve out areas of the library for [each age group].

That includes faculty too; we have a study room just devoted to faculty.”

Mr. Perryman recounted the library’s history in an essay for The Hill to commemorate the building’s 35th anniversary. In his piece, he described how Greenhill’s library collection had been scattered along Crossman Dining Hall’s walls.

In 1966, when the need for a permanent home for the school’s collection of books and other materials finally matched the school’s budget, the renowned Texas architect O’Neil Ford was hired. He waived large portions of his consulting and design fees due to the school’s financial crisis as a result of the Agnich Science Building and Crossman Hall’s cost overruns a couple of years prior.

Ms. Harrison said that the library staff works hard to keep the building up to date with the latest technology. Lower School students now have tables for more interactive Makers’ Lab work and the use of iPads along with a reading area. The library’s audio book circulation, database usage and e-book usage has increased rapidly over the past few years.

“It is, in some ways, the most rapidly evolving part of campus,” said Mr. Perryman. “The library building is spectacular, but the library program must continue evolving.”

The library is also an example of architectural brilliance.

Mr. Perryman said he was leading a campus tour of architects from around the country following the opening of the Marshall Family Performing Arts Center (MPAC), and while the architects marveled at the design of the MPAC, it wasn’t the building that caught their eye the most.

“Three different architects pulled me aside at the end of the tour and said ‘the real gem on your campus is that library,’” he said. “I agreed.”

The library is also responsible for the establishment of Greenhill’s campus publication, The Evergreen, according to David Johnson ’67, the first editor-inchief of the newspaper who now works as a business analyst and host of the radio show “CEO Spotlight.” In Mr. Perryman’s essay, he said that The Evergreen began as an advertising tool for the library, allowing potential donors to look at students’ work and invest in the building.

“They wanted to build a library,” said Mr. Johnson in the essay. “And they needed something to hand out. A brochure was one

thing, but a school newspaper was another.

What they really wanted was a PR tool.”

While the library has had an impact on the students that frequent it, the building has also made an impact on faculty. Mr. Johnson said that the library has hosted numerous board meetings, retirement parties, receptions, memorial services and even a wedding.

The building also has a special significance to alumni parents, as they get to watch their students work and read in the same building as they did many years ago.

“It was my little sanctuary at Greenhill,” said Melanie Rubin ’85, mother of alumni Brent and Jillie and current senior Ross Rubin. “The library always had

a very special place in my heart. A lot of milestones have taken place in the library, both as a student and a parent.”

Both students and adults alike hope that the library preserves the same atmosphere and purpose it has upheld for 50 years and still has today.

“I trust Ms. Harrison’s judgment to take us in a good direction,” said Mr. Perryman. “I personally very much hope we don’t go in the direction that some schools have gone in, where they get rid of all their books.”

Mr. Johnson shares those views. “[The library] will live the test of time,” said Mr. Johnson. “That great building will be around forever, with books and other stuff too.”

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Community service board implemented into Student Council Lola Frenkel Staff Writer

Greenhill’s yearlong theme of community has resulted in the creation of a new Upper School community service board to spread awareness on the importance of serving others.

Senior Megan Olomu, in her campaign speech for class elections, spoke about forming a new group at Greenhill dedicated to community.

Director of Service Learning and Community Service Angela Woodson started thinking about a community service board last year after hearing Megan’s speech for Student Council president.

After Megan won, she and Ms. Woodson collaborated to create the board.

Community service is a graduation requirement for each grade. Students are obligated to complete 24 hours of community service through their freshman and sophomore years. Twenty-four additional hours are required for a student’s junior and senior years. Megan believed the student body would benefit from announcements and communication from the community service board.

“The triangle [of arts, athletics, and academics] was completed, but another huge part of Greenhill, one of our graduation requirements, is community service,” said Megan.

“The arts and athletics each have their own boards. A board to solely deal with community service would be able to unite the high school in a way.”

The board will gather student input in planning different types of service opportunities that people want to take part in.

Two students have been elected from each grade. The designated students are: seniors Lara Deuber and Reid Zlotky; juniors Divya Inaganti and Veda Velamuri; sophomores Tej Dhingra and Melis Evlioglu and freshmen Jordan Levy and Travis Mann.

“I thought [a board] would be a good entity to have and to help Ms. Woodson, because she has a lot to do,” said Megan. “I thought this board of students would help incorporate the student’s voice into community service.”

Megan remembers when students had assistance in obtaining their hours and did not have to rely solely on themselves.

“In Middle School, we

would do a bunch of grade-wide community service projects,” she said. “But that went away as we came into high school, as everyone was on their own.”

To involve and interest students more in community service, the board will be introducing new events for service; their goal is to organize a school-wide or Upper Schoolwide event every trimester.

“A lot of the community service that I do and my peers do is individual, and I hope this will help bring us in as a community,” Megan said.

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The arts and athletics each have their own boards. A board to solely deal with community service would be able to unite the high school in a way.”

Students elected for positions will have support from the student body and Ms. Woodson.

“Primarily they will be working under Ms. Woodson’s direction,” Megan said.

The board offers leadership positions for students to better connect with volunteer

Photo courtesy of Angela Woodson

SELFLESS STUDENTS: Students help staff member Ron Ivery move various personal hygiene products during a community service event.

opportunities all around the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Students self-nominated themselves for positions on the board for 20182019 spots.

Divya, one of the recently elected representatives, wants to help students finish their service requirements and make Greenhill more passionate about community service.

“Students at Greenhill had a flawed mindset,” said Divya.

“Kids felt like [community service] was a chore and that, once you fulfilled the 24-hour requirement, you were ‘done.’”

Ms. Woodson said that the students are currently selected for

a one-year term, and in May she will open nominations for next school year. She believes bringing in new student representatives each year to work with Student Council will help deliver more stability.

Both Ms. Woodson and Megan hope the community service board makes a lasting impact at Greenhill and teaches valuable lessons to the student body.

“I hope to cultivate a passion for service throughout Greenhill,” said Ms. Woodson. “I am looking forward to working with the community service board.”

2018 alumni spend gap years as magazine intern and hockey player Mila Nguyen

Online Executive Editor

Greenhill alumna Alice Zhang ’18 delayed her entry to the University of Chicago this fall to intern at D Magazine. Owen Farris ’18 has put off college so he could spend the year in Mesquite, Michigan, playing for the Muskegon Lumberjacks against the top junior hockey players in America.

Both Alice and Owen have chosen an increasingly popular path for high school graduates in America, taking a “gap year” to work in an area of interest or pursue artistic or athletic interests before starting college.

After finishing an internship at Chapwood Investments, a Plano wealth management firm, during her senior year, Alice decided that she did not feel ready for what a professional working life had to offer. She wanted to spend another year immersing herself in that world.

“When you are in school, you are locked down in a classroom studying for four years,” said Alice.

“You never have the opportunity to experience the real-life world.”

Owen took his gap year, as many elite junior hockey players do, to be able to focus on developing his skills without having to balance school at the same time. He practices in the rink every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m..

He thinks this will open up more

Photos courtesy of Alice Zhang and Dan Hickling

DOING BIG THINGS: Alice Zhang ‘18 (left) poses with fellow D CEO team members at an event. Owen Farris ‘18 (right) is playing for the Muskegon Lumberjacks in Mesquite, Michigan this year.

opportunities for his hockey career while he decides where he will continue his education. He may even take two gap years to gain as

“

When you are in school, you are locked down in a classroom studying for four years. You never have the opportunity to experience the real-life world.”

much experience as he can while staying in the Tier 1 league, the top level in junior hockey in the United States.

“It was an easy decision for

me because it was something I had been planning for a while,” said Owen. “I have known since sophomore year that hockey was something I wanted to pursue and that this was what it was going to take to get where I want to be.”

Students who take gap years are able to gain experience in a specific field or range of fields that they could continue into after college. They open themselves up to opportunities that they would not get to pursue while studying for a degree.

“I have gotten to go to many public community events and engage with many fans,” said

Owen. “I have also had the time to pick up hobbies such as reading and I enjoy being able to hang out with my teammates.”

Alice has gotten to work and learn from professional journalists while at D Magazine. She frequently gets to write her own stories that get published on their website. She writes for the magazine’s business section. She recently worked on the fourth edition of the Dallas 500, an annual publication that recognizes the most successful business leaders in Dallas. She attended the publication’s release party at Nasher Sculpture Center, where she got to interact with the

people who she had been writing about.

“D Magazine is so in with so many people in Dallas and they have so many connections,” said Alice. “I get to meet so many cool and interesting people that I wouldn’t get to without this job.”

Owen’s favorite part of taking his gap year has been the shift in responsibility from going to school to having free time when he is not in the rink.

“I get to go home and not have to worry about an hour-long Spanish assignment,” said Owen. “I have time to learn about the things I want to learn about and try out different interests.”

While taking a gap year has been a positive experience for these two, it can be difficult for them to see their peers experience college without them.

“It is kind of hard, because we are so connected through social media, to see your friends’ Snapchat stories of them having a good time at college, and you are stuck in a little town,” said Owen.

“It will also be weird when all my friends graduate. When I go to college I will be a lot older than most people.”

Still, Owen has found the time rewarding.

“I would definitely recommend it for people who have a deep passion for something and want to take a step back from school to take some time to pursue their interest,” Owen said.

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wednesday, december 19, 2018 Evergreen Greenhill increases enrollment in recent years Harrison Heymann Managing Editor

Smaller classes are better because teachers get more time with students and can better tailor material in the classroom to the specific needs of fewer students. That’s often the conventional wisdom in America and at Greenhill.

Over the last few years, Greenhill’s enrollment has risen from 1,280 students to 1,316. But administrators, teachers and students don’t all agree whether this is a problem. The Admissions Office had a 20182019 target of 1,316 students, said Director of Admissions Sarah Markhovsky. She said the decision was made based upon the input of several people, and that she herself does not actually make the final call.

“The decision to grow comes from a higher level, from the Board of Trustees or Head of School,” said Ms. Markhovsky. “But it also depends on each division level and what the division heads want. There are only so many lockers for students to fill.”

Eighty-seven percent of Greenhill’s budget every year comes from tuition. The challenge is balancing budget demands and a strategic desire for growth against physical limitations and class-size objectives.

“We recently did a large sustainability study to look at how to we can limit increases in tuition every year and study the capacity of the school,” said Ms. Markhovsky. “[The increasing number of enrolled students] wasn’t unplanned. I appreciate the way we budget here, because we set the number very thoughtfully and don’t need to admit students that aren’t qualified.”

Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer Kendra Grace said that while the school has enrolled more students in recent years none of it has been inadvertent. She and the rest of the Business Office are currently doing the budgeting for next school year.

A preliminary budget will be approved in

January, along with tuition rates for the next school year.

“Reenrollment contracts go out in January,” said Ms. Grace. “We make our budget prior to knowing which students are going to come back and how many students we are going to accept.”

An increase in overall enrollment doesn’t necessarily translate into larger classes at Greenhill. Greenhill stringently maintains class sizes at the PK-4 levels and carefully monitors fluctuations at higher levels, said Head of School Lee Hark.

At those higher levels, including Upper School, Greenhill’s enrollment expansion has resulted in relatively small increases in class sizes, “but not nearly enough to trigger research findings about what’s best for learning,” said Mr. Hark. “Up to around 24 students in a class, there is no effect on learning.”

The distinction is important.

Class size isn’t the primary determinant in whether students learn the material in their class well, and reducing the number of students in a classroom doesn’t necessarily improve the school, according to Andrew J. Rotherham, author of the blog Eduwonk and co-founder and partner at Bellwether Education, a non-profit organization working to improve educational outcomes for low-income students. Schools across the country have been reducing class sizes and studying the results for years, so there is actually data on whether the reduction is meaningful or not.

“Smaller classes are better, but only if the teacher is a very good one,” Mr. Rotherham argued in a 2011 Time Magazine article. “In other words, class size matters, but teacher effectiveness matters more. You’re better off with 28, 30, or maybe even more kids and a great teacher, than 24 or 22 and a mediocre one. What’s more, to really make a difference smaller must mean much smaller. Fewer than 16, for instance.”

Michael Legacy, an Upper School math teacher, is one of the teachers who has been most significantly affected by the number of students in the Upper School this year.

The Honors Precalculus classes he teaches usually comprise around 18 students, but this year he is teaching classes with 21 and 22 students.

“This is an unusual year, which is a confluence of a number of things,” said Mr. Legacy. “We made the decision to make Algebra I and Geometry classes smaller, so we are more limited in the number of pre-calc sections available because we have been understaffed for a while. It’s not the 37 students I had in pre-calc when I taught in Plano, but we’ve gotten bigger classes as enrollment in the Upper School has gone up without much of an increase in staff to go with that.”

Mr. Legacy also said he prefers to teach smaller classes for a variety of reasons, partially because they are more practical for discussion.

“Smaller allows for more individual attention. I can ask each student questions more frequently, and get around a classroom faster,” he said. “Bigger classes have more grading, more comments for teachers, more everything. It’s hard for [students] to ask me as many questions as they need to, since every kid doesn’t have all the time in the world to do that.”

Chinese teacher David Lui said his classes have ranged anywhere from just one student to as many as 18 students since he has been at Greenhill. But in the past two to three years, the number of students in his class has stabilized around 14 or 15, he said.

He said he prefers smaller classes because it creates a better classroom dynamic.

“My experience is there are some issues with bigger classes,” said Mr. Lui. “With smaller classes, I can get to more students and take more care of my students individually during class.”

Mr. Lui said he understands why this is happening. But smaller classes benefit students as well as faculty.

“I can see the reason why the number of students is increasing, because financially it makes sense to have more students,” he said. “The student-teacher ratio is what makes Greenhill different, because we can take better care of our kids than they can in public school. From a teaching standpoint, I think classes should be limited to no more than 15.”

Despite teachers noticing this issue feeling like it is something the school should look at, several students said they haven’t really had much of an issue with increasing class sizes. Freshman Travis Mann and junior Michelle Liang both said their class sizes haven’t really increased over recent years. Michelle said she hopes classes are kept small.

“Teachers can burn out from having a large class,” said Michelle. “It’s more ‘efficient’ for teachers to teach bigger classes, but it comes at the cost of being more burnt out from controlling larger classes. Greenhill’s student body isn’t too big. Many students have at least one teacher they feel connected to, which begins to feel lost in bigger classes and schools.”

Ms. Markhovsky said that now, especially as the admissions season approaches, she and the rest of her department are evaluating what admissions will look like next year.

“Now, we’re having the conversation to find the number that will best suit the school,” said Ms. Markhovsky. “We have a bare minimum number to make sure we meet the budget requirement, and we also have a number we don’t want to exceed.

We’re talking with division heads right now about how many students we can have in a classroom to still give students the best educational experience.”

Features the

A class to relax

Inner Light: a course focused on creating inner peace Sonali Notani Arts Editor

After a stressful morning of BC Calculus and AP Chemistry, an Upper School student walks through the noisy hallway, enters their 3rd period Inner Light class and is instantly put at ease.

Throughout this trimester course, students engage in various mindful activities including daily meditations and mindful movements such as tai chi and yoga. Students commune with nature by meditating outdoors and recording their experiences and inner thoughts in a journal.

“I enjoy being a witness to everyone’s self-discovery,” said Suzanne Yaffe, who has taught the course since 2016. “Through meditation, there is this remarkable uncovering that happens, a re-discovery of our limitless potential as human beings. As our awareness grows and our connection to ourselves deepens, what we used to think may not be possible we discover is actually possible.”

The History Department class— formally called Inner Light: Traditions & Paths of Meditation—is a legacy of Dan Kasten, who taught English at Greenhill for 33 years before his death in 2017. Mr. Kasten’s interest in world religions and meditation led to the creation of the Inner Light class at Greenhill about a decade ago.

The course catalog frames the class with four questions: “Why have humans around the world and throughout history cultivated personal and transpersonal awareness?

Why has such insight become less central to recent Euro-American culture? What value can accrue from quietude and reflection?

How might meditation change one’s life and one’s perception of the world?”

Students delve into the history of meditation and various meditative traditions from different cultures and religions, but it is not like any other history credit on campus. While imersing students in other cultures, the curriculum primarily focuses on exploring one's “inner light.”

Students learn how meditation can change one’s perception of the world.

Addressing these questions throughout the

Photo illustration by Raag Venkat

FIND THE LIGHT: Students practice meditation and mindfulness to learn to cope with and care for their own mental health as well as promote different methods of self discovery. Inner Light teaches students about understanding behaviors of different cultures in society.

class culminates with a final project in which students pursue their own in-depth study on a topic that pertains to the class’s overall themes.

“The class is helping me learn how to better manage my mental health,” said junior Kioncé Woods. “Also, the meditations and daily journals have helped me become more mindful and more aware of my surroundings.”

The class includes informal meditation practices that allow students to apply their new meditation tactics. Students then are able to incorporate their classroom learning into their relationships, households and various communities.

“Meditation cultivates qualities within us that enhance our life and help us make more skillful choices,” said Ms. Yaffe. “This practice we learn in Inner Light fosters our understanding of our motivations, behaviors,

emotions and actions, and it helps us discern which ones best serve us and serve others.”

Ms. Yaffe also said there is some psychology and sociology sprinkled into the course. Students learn about how the brain works and neurobiology. They also discuss cultural conditioning and its role in daily life.

So, with the internal and external pressures of high school, students taking Inner Light can learn their own ways to manage stress and anxiety.

“Knowing how busy and stressful Greenhill classes can get, I feel this class really helped me manage my stress and work load,” said senior Matt Davidson. “Since the class does not burden you with work, I feel like it was a good way to allow my mind to rest.”

Ms. Yaffe believes mindfulness can help bridge a lot of the differences and animosity

in society today between different cultures, religions, races, genders, political views and more.

“Particularly in this culture and climate we are living in, where there is so much division and distrust, [this class] taps into what unites us all, into what is deepest and true inside of us, into what we all share at our core,” said Ms. Yaffe. “Meditation is truly a vehicle for creating peace within our world.”

Meditation is growing in popularity and its benefits on society are becoming clearer, said Ms. Yaffe.

“It’s no longer seen as a preoccupation for wannabe hippies trying to attain enlightenment or nirvana,” said Ms. Yaffe.

“Athletes, performers, doctors, corporate executives and more are finally realizing how powerfully it can awaken our inner potential, strengthen our inner reserves and create balance, steadiness and calm.”

A higher level history course A review of the trimester-long senior seminar elective

Hayden Jacobs Editor-in-Chief

One of Greenhill’s most exclusive classes is also one of its most unique.

It’s called Senior Seminar, and it allows the select few students accepted to discuss a particular topic in a setting similar to a small college class.

“It’s a way for students who are passionate about history to really shine,” said History Department Chair Amy Bresie ‘96.

The class, open only to seniors, was started in 2013 and is offered for only one period during one trimester each year.

The teacher and the topic of the class vary from year to year. To enroll in the class, students submit an application to that year’s Senior Seminar teacher, explaining why they are interested in taking the class and what previous experience will help them contribute to the group. After reviewing the applications, the teacher chooses twelve students to comprise the class.

Senior Seminar presents students and teachers with opportunities different from those in most history classes. The selectiveness of the class gives teachers

the freedom to experiment more with the curriculum.

“I think Senior Seminar is an opportunity for both the teachers and the students to do something different, to push new envelopes, to try new subjects, to do something that’s not just harder but different,” said Upper School history teacher Adrian Martinez, who is teaching the class next year. “That can be combining subjects that you don’t see together in a typical elective or it can be a level of rigor that is not matched in a typical elective.”

The teachers for Senior Seminar take advantage of having a class of highachieving, passionate history students.

“The class is very seminar-like and very student-led,” said Upper School history teacher Scott Cotton, who teaches this year’s seminar. “The students are very interested in the topic and are often some of our best history students.”

Students appreciate the benefits of having such a strong class. They gain flexibility and a greater sense of ownership in their learning.

“I think it’s cool because it’s kind of like a curriculum directed by the students,” said senior Megan Olomu. “Mr. Cotton lets

us choose what we want to study and how we want to be assessed.”

The class is designed to serve as the first college-style class for the selected students.

The class is largely based on seminars and group discussions pertaining to that year’s topic. Past subjects have included art in Dallas, food history, democracy around the world and social reform movements throughout history.

“The goal is that the topic is kind of like a passion project for that year’s teacher,” said Dr. Bresie. “It’s a subject that the teacher is very knowledgeable about that would benefit from the class being a small group made from the best-of-the-best history students.”

Senior Seminar tends to be primarily student-led. The selectiveness of the class sets a high tone among the group and creates a room full of high-achieving history students. The curriculum and conversations tend to stem from what students find interesting and bring to class discussions.

“The class is driven by student interests and what they want to take from the class,” said Dr. Bresie.

This year, Mr. Cotton chose to teach

Senior Seminar on the modern Middle East. He split the class into three sections, each covering a relevant issue: Israel and Palestine; the Arab Spring; and the Cold War between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Senior Barrett Russ’s love of history classes drove him to apply for Senior Seminar last spring. He enjoys how the class values student participation and involvement over tests and research papers.

“The class is much less structured than my other classes,” said Barrett. “We have a reading we have to do and then we’ll just have conversations about what we read. It’s a really nice change from most of my other classes.”

Senior Seminar is one of Greenhill’s only classes that requires an application and is the only history class that requires one. Additionally, it is a class designed just for seniors. Because each year has completely different material, the class is ultimately defined by its selectiveness and the students’ willingness to learn and voice their opinions.

“None of our peer schools have a Senior Seminar or anything like it,” said Dr. Bresie.

“It’s a really unique, cool opportunity we offer people to do experimental history.”

Evergreen the

8 features

wednesday, december 19, 2018

The effects of not weighting GPA cont'd from page 1

“A lot of [choosing to take AP classes] has to do with college applications and looking good,” Julia said. “Also, my interests, because I’m taking AP Environmental Science, and I’m very interested in science, so that seemed like a good fit for me.”

Like Julia, some students feel pressure from colleges to take more challenging courses. However, Head of School Lee Hark hopes students don’t take AP and honors classes solely for their college application.

“My ultimate point about [not wanting to weight AP and honors courses] is that students are hopefully motivated intrinsically rather than extrinsically,” he said.

Ms. Fisher said that, while Greenhill uses an unweighted GPA, this system doesn’t affect a student’s college application.

“Colleges are used to seeing a wide variety of grading schemes,” said Ms. Fisher. “So what a high school chooses

to use doesn’t faze them at all, as long as they know what it is that a school is doing.”

Despite some students believing that colleges just want to see AP and honors classes, Ms. Fisher said that colleges are looking for a well-rounded application.

“Colleges are very savvy to the fact that they want students who are prepared academically for their programs, but they’re not looking for a student to take every advanced course,” she said. “At the same time, [colleges] don’t want students to just try to take courses that would raise a GPA.” Another concern some students have about the school not weighting GPAs is how it translates into the determining of High Honor Roll, the national Cum Laude Society and autoadmission into public Texas colleges.

High Honor Roll is an award given to all students with a year-long GPA of 3.67 or above. [Cum Laude Society is a select group of students with the top 10 percent of GPAs in their grade. This is determined the summer after their

junior year, according to Head of Upper School Trevor Worcester.] If a student is within the top 10 percent of their grade, they are automatically accepted into any public university in Texas by state law. However, this doesn’t apply to UT Austin, which only accepts the top 6 or 7 percent of students each year, due to an overwhelming number of applicants.

In determining these awards and the auto-admissions into Texas universities, students are being ranked using their unweighted GPA, which some students find unfair.

“When they give high honor roll or select valedictorian, it’s not really reflective of who’s earning the top scores, because students in the easy classes are getting the same GPA or higher than students taking harder classes,” Divya said.

However, for accolades such as Cum Laude Society, Mr. Worcester said that this system is actually more straightforward than National Honor Society, due to the fact that GPA is the only criteria.

“Cum Laude [was instituted] because we used to have National Honor Society instead and that was a much more subjective process because it involved an application, essays and you’re trying to qualify and quantify characteristics such as leadership,” he said. “GPA gives you a cutoff and places students into the pool, but then from there you had to demonstrate all these other attributes. Whereas Cum Laude looks solely at your GPA, and the cutoff is the top 10% first at the end of junior year, and then senior the second 10% at the end of senior year.”

Although APs and GPA are always on the minds of Greenhill students, Mr. Hark wants students to focus less on the end goal and more on the journey. “[Greenhill] pushes you in some directions,” said Mr. Hark. “The goal is for you to explore courses that you might have not taken. We want you to explore different topics and areas and see if that ignites a passion.”

We need caffeine!

Coffee has become a necessity in the Upper School

Photo by Raag Venkat

COFFEE FOR DAYS: A student is shown having to rely on caffeine to finish various homework assignments and projects. Caffeine's ability to stimulate natural brain stimulants, like dopamine, gives students a much needed jolt of energy. The graph depicts the daily caffeine intake by age in milligrams. Typically students in high school (higlighted in blue) drink about 83.2 milligrams of caffeine per day.

Natalie Gonchar

Views Editor

Tired students walk through the Upper School before 9 a.m. clutching huge cups of coffee to fight off their fatigue. It’s hardly a new phenomenon, but coffee and other sources of caffeine are a significant part of some students’ lives.

“On really bad days, I’ve gone off campus for a cup of coffee,” said senior Heidi Koehler.

It is no longer the age of a simple “cup of joe” in the morning, because coffee isn’t the only way to get a quick and easy jumpstart on the day. Other caffeinated products like tea, energy drinks and even gum can give students the energy needed to take on the day.

From the sweet taste of Red Bull to the bitter taste of coffee and the longlasting caffeinated gum products, a vast and growing industry dedicated to caffeine surrounds modern day teens.

The demands of academics aren’t the only reason students are picking up cups of coffee. When surrounded by people that rely on coffee, it’s only a matter of time before someone takes a sip.

Junior Maddie Hatfield said her caffeine habit is a product of familial

influence; she consumes at least one coffee or energy drink every day. “[Caffeine] runs in my family,” said Maddie. “My entire family drinks Monster Energy drinks. We’ll stop at a gas station and my dad will say ‘alright who wants a Monster?’ and everyone will get one.”

The same goes for Heidi. She says that her mom drinks two cups of coffee every morning, which led to Heidi’s interest and now daily consumption of coffee.

“I saw my mom every morning drinking her two cups and I thought ‘why not, my mom does it!’” said Heidi.

Caffeine’s ability to stimulate natural brain stimulants, like dopamine, gives consumers what can be a much-needed jolt of energy. It’s no surprise teenagers are drinking cups of coffee regularly.

Greenhill has a rigorous academic curriculum and many students use caffeinated products in order to pull allnighters or late-night study sessions. These caffeinated products allow students to function the next day in class.

“During finals week, I drink three or four shots of espresso in one night,” said junior Samantha Ungerman. “And that’s my minimum.”

Since the Buzz, Greenhill’s school store, discontinued the sale of coffee, students

have been taking their business elsewhere.

Popular spots include 84 Point Craft Coffee, a new coffee shop that is within walking distance of campus. Upper School students are prohibited from making a coffee run during free periods, but some students do it anyway. The shop is buzzing with Greenhill students and faculty before and after school.

“

[Caffeine] gives me an energy boost so I can sit through classes, pay attention and participate in class discussions.”

When coffee is not accessible to students during school hours, many rely on different energy drinks to get them through the day.

“I mean, I know it can be unhealthy,” said Maddie. “When I drink Monster it definitely tastes like chemicals. Good chemicals. Not good for you, but good tasting ones.”

A healthy adult can consume a maximum of 4-5 cups of coffee per day, according to Health Line. But, the negative effects such as erratic heartbeat, seizures

and muscle tremors can be felt before that amount.

“I have drunk something every day this week,” said Maddie. “I try not to do that. I try and limit myself to three. I may need to try and do a cleanse soon.”

So why keep drinking caffeine? Most students won’t feel these symptoms after their morning venti Frappuccino. They feel more concentrated, resulting in an increase in performance during the day, and even relief from headaches. “[Caffeine] gives me an energy boost so I can sit through classes, pay attention and participate in class discussions,” said Samantha.

While stopping caffeine consumption for teens on campus would be rather difficult, educating consumers of the physical toll that caffeine can have on a teen’s body is important and easier.

Students say that that education should be done at Greenhill.

“I’d rather know how much, and what I should be drinking,” said Samantha.

“Instead of frowning upon it, we can talk about healthy ways to consume coffee.”

Special Report the

The Holiday Debate

Does Greenhill accommodate all religious and cultural holidays?

Graphic by Sarah Luan

Sarah Luan Staff Writer

From Diwali to Christmas to Hanukkah, Greenhill students celebrate a variety of holidays, especially during the winter months. But getting the cultural balance right remains a work in progress.

Celebrating diversity is emphasized by teachers from Lower to Upper School.

Whether it’s a schoolwide celebration of Diwali, a Nutcracker performance or an English class on the Book of Genesis, Greenhill has made an effort to represent a wide variety of cultures.

Director of Equity and Inclusion Karen Bradberry believes that the Christiandominated view of religion in America is very different from the view at Greenhill.

“America is a Christian-based society with Christianity as the dominant religious culture,” said Dr. Bradberry. “If you take our traditional calendar, which recognizes Jewish holidays, we have these two pillars of history pushing on our very diverse community, which has so many more religions than just Christians and Jews.”

In the Upper School, many students form affinity groups or clubs so that they can discuss their own culture or ethnicity with peers. Each group pushes for their opinions to be represented when talking about religious celebrations and cultural equality at Greenhill.

Reid Zlotky, president of the Jewish Studies Club, and Sophie Baron, vice president, agree that having a diverse community at Greenhill makes it difficult for the school to accommodate all religions and cultures.

“It would be unreasonable for Greenhill to equally accommodate all religious beliefs or treat everyone equally in regards to their religious practices,” Reid said.

However, they do believe that because Greenhill has such a large Jewish population students should get at least one day of school off for Rosh Hashanah so they can celebrate.

“We have school off for Yom Kippur, but we don’t have it off for Rosh Hashanah and it’s also a big holiday,” said Sophie.

“Greenhill has a big Jewish population, so a

lot of the Jewish students miss school.”

Like Reid and Sophie, Pearson Brooks and Clarissa Smith, presidents of the Christian Student Coalition, wanted to create a space where students could feel comfortable around others who share the same beliefs.

“It just seemed that there wasn’t a community of Christians,” said Clarissa.

“Being Christian, that was a big deal for me to know who around me I could go to, and who believes what I believe.”

Some affinity groups, however, do feel that they are underrepresented and sometimes do not see their culture or religion reflected at school.

“Greenhill makes an effort to represent a diverse community, but there are times when I feel like I can’t see my culture reflected in the school, curriculum or events,” said Brian Zhou, president of the East Asian Affinity Group. “We need to be more proactive in infusing diverse cultural backgrounds and perspectives into everyday school activities.”

Sophomore Anagha Gouru, a member of the South Asian Affinity Group, agrees with Brian. She believes the overshadowing of other religious groups causes underrepresentation.

“Greenhill strives to make all religions equal, but they partially don’t because we have a majority of one group of religions,” said Anagha. “We happen to be more aware of other cultures than some and while Greenhill does a great job with Diwali we should have more education about different cultures.”

Mishael Khan and Anaah Abedi, presidents of the Muslim Student Association, believe that a solution to this problem is the involvement of more religions in both the curriculum and other cultural celebrations during the school day.

“I think [equal cultural representation] just requires more interaction between the student body and other cultures because right now I don’t think that we do enough,” said Mishael. “We need to just incorporate more cultures into not only our curriculum but the types of things that we celebrate on campus.”

While they think that Muslims aren’t fully represented at Greenhill, they have

been more insistent about this by working with administration. As of right now, the Muslim Student Association is working with Head of School Lee Hark to make Eid a school holiday.

“The administration will do their best to make sure we feel like we are being represented, but we have to ask,” Anaah said.

Although some people do feel unrepresented, recent changes in Greenhill’s curriculum have improved the school’s understanding of other cultures. Manvi Mittal, co-president of the South Asian Affinity Group, believes that Greenhill’s history curriculum changing from Atlantic Experience to Global History is an achievement that will allow freshmen and sophomores to gain a different perspective of the world that isn’t just from the Eurocentric perspective.

“Global History will hopefully provide the opportunity for the students to learn history from the perspective of Hindus, Muslims and other South Asian cultures and religions that are represented in the school,” Manvi said.

Head of Upper School Trevor Worcester also believes that implementing religious and cultural education into core classes like Global History is a major improvement. He thinks that more can be done for freshmen and sophomores who don’t have the chance to take history or English electives that may offer a more in-depth course on religions. “ What we can improve on is that if you want to learn more about other religions, you can generally only do that through junior and senior electives,” said Mr. Worcester. “If we implemented it more intentionally into core classes in 9th and 10th grade, it’s because we as a school feel that it’s important that students should be learning it.”

Besides this recent change in curriculum, Greenhill has evolved greatly in terms of diversity awareness since it first started as an academic institution.

“The school was founded on commitment to diversity. We’ve gone from just counting the number of people that we have who seem to fall under a diverse umbrella to really understanding what that means in terms of our faculty, our nonteaching employees and our families,” said

Head of Middle School Susan Palmer, who has taught at Greenhill for 20 years.

Even in the Lower School, teachers stress the importance of affinity groups and the celebrations of different religions. Many of this is done during class or assemblies by teachers and parent volunteers.

“One of the things I’m proud of about the Lower School is that we’re open to affinity groups in Lower School,” said Head of Lower School Michael Simpson. “A lot of schools will shy away from affinity groups at the Lower School level, but not us. We are continuously trying to work hard with our teachers and understand in the classroom how important it is to be culturally relevant.”

History Department Chair Amy Bresie has also seen the school develop over the years since her time as a student. Although the school’s population has increased dramatically, she still believes the school is in the process of reaching cultural equality and a full education on world history.

“We’re trying to make sure that our schedule and our curriculum have caught up to who we are, and I don’t think we’re there yet,” she said. “I think that there is interest and we’re trying to get there, but it’s going to take more time, more education and willingness to work together.”

Students agree that just the presence of the diverse population at Greenhill is enlightening.

“Because of the diversity of the students on campus, it is easier for us to connect with our own culture as well as learn about so many others,” said Natalie Park, co-president with Brian of the East Asian Affinity Group.

While Greenhill faculty and students acknowledge some areas for improvement, one thing the school agrees upon is that it is constantly evolving in diversity awareness and equal cultural representation.

“Getting a whole bunch of diversity without making sure that you have built a house for diversity—that’s like a recipe for disaster,” said Dr. Bradberry. “Thus, my whole focus and concentration is not so much on how are we doing, but more of are we doing this because we are ahead of the game and we’re continually rebuilding our house?”

Arts the

Serving the community- instrumentally Greenhill freshman ensembles perform for community service

Photos courtesy of Pranav Mukund and Rachel Wegener

PERFORMING WITH PURPOSE: Greenhill freshmen have formed orchestra groups to provide community service. One ensemble includes violinist Pranav Mukund (right picture, left) and cellist Christopher Dycus (right picture, right). The other group includes Shruti Siva (left picture, right), Angela An (left picture, middle), and Rachel Wegener (left picture, left).

Shreya Saxena Backpage Editor

When two freshman ensemble groups were introduced to orchestra, they were inspired to share their talents with the people around them.

Now, their love for music has grown into something bigger than themselves, organizing orchestra performances for community service projects.

Since 2014, freshman violinist Pranav Mukund and freshman cellist Christopher Dycus have been playing together in the Greenhill Middle School orchestra. Pranav started playing the violin at the age of three, and Christopher began playing the cello in fifth grade.

“What really inspired me to combine orchestra and community service was actually the community service trip in fifth grade to Vogel Alcove,” said Christopher. “We got to see what it was like there, and they said they always needed more volunteers and help. That was when we decided to get involved.”

The Vogel Alcove Foundation’s goal is to provide a place for homeless children to stay during the day while their parents are trying to find a job.

That summer, Pranav and Christopher held their first performance for the Vogel Alcove children at the Dallas Public Library. The duo coordinated all the behind-the-scenes work and raised $250 for the organization.

“We love putting on these shows as they provide an opportunity for us to use our talents to help kids in need,” Pranav said.

Pranav enjoys playing music at venues like Klyde Warren Park, where he and Christopher performed this summer. He said that families come out to enjoy the weather and beautiful setting and listen to their music while donating to a worthy cause.

Their first performance was only the beginning of their success: the boys helped establish their orchestra group, PC Ensemble, and with that group came more people to perform with them. The most recent performance was a concert at Klyde Warren Park where they raised $492.

Pranav and Christopher organize their own set of orchestra pieces, which they perform at their community service events.

“What’s the point of a talent, other than entertaining, if you can’t actually help people in their

daily lives?” said Pranav. “We just put our talent to good use and made sure that the kids at Vogel Alcove were benefitting from our experiences.”

In the future, Pranav and Christopher hope to grow their ensemble by possibly adding more Greenhill musicians. Additionally, they plan to work for more charities and organizations. Both believe that additional ensemble members will lead to more performances and more opportunities to donate.

In addition to Pranav and Christopher, another freshman-based orchestra ensemble is comprised of Shruti Siva, Angela An and Rachel Wegener. With the help of the administration from the organization Meals on Wheels, these three freshmen were able to use their talents to benefit others. Meals on Wheels is an organization that delivers food to the elderly.

“We already knew that we wanted to do something to help our community,” said Shruti.

“Since I was already part of Meals on Wheels, we decided to just start with that.”

All three ensemble members strongly agreed that the experience of performing for the elderly alone was enough to motivate their future

orchestra-related community service. Similar to Pranav and Christopher, this group also creates their own set of songs to perform together at nursing homes.

“Seniors don’t get a lot of interaction from people outside of their living homes, so by us being there and playing for them, [we are able to give] them a chance to enjoy just listening and relaxing,” Angela said.

Middle and Upper School Orchestra Director Nick Paraskevas emphasized that both ensemble groups’ drive stemmed from their initiative and desire to give back to their community.

“It’s wonderful for the kids to get a chance to perform their music for a different kind of audience; not just other music teachers or their families,” said Mr. Paraskevas. “And it’s incredible for them to play in front of an audience that really appreciates them musically. It also gives them some autonomy in developing their own involvement in community service using who they are and their own talents.”

Tradition with a twist

For the first time, Head of School Lee Hark narrates “The Nutcracker” Ross Rubin

Journalism Assistant

For the first time in 19 years, Greenhill’s bedazzled Nutcracker throne will have a new occupant when Head of School Lee Hark reads the renowned holiday story for the kindergarten’s performance on Dec. 19.

“I saw ‘The Nutcracker’ as a child,” said Mr. Hark. “Although I cannot say I fully understand it still--it was very surreal--I certainly appreciated it.”

While “The Nutcracker” has been a Greenhill celebration for many years, the tradition extends far beyond Hornet Road.

Many Greenhill student and faculty members grew up reading the story in their own homes.

“I was really obsessed with the book with all of the pictures of the ballet, and I thought it was so cool that we got to do it,” said senior Katie Bendalin. “I loved ‘The Nutcracker.’”

Each kindergarten student is given a costume and character based off the original story. One kindergarten homeroom class may dress up as toy soldiers while another might dress up as the flowers. To prepare

Photo by Sonali Notani

A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: New Head of School Lee Hark is telling the tale of “The Nutcracker” during the kindergarten’s performance of the holiday classic on Dec. 19.

for their big show, the students spend weeks memorizing the choreography in their music classes. Every year, the whole class performs in front of families and students.

This year, however, there is a twist to the tradition. Mr. Hark will be reading the story instead of past Head of School Scott Griggs, who read the story during the kindergarten performance for nearly two de-

cades. Mr. Hark wants to keep most of the tradition the same, but he plans to add a bit of his own touch.

“I hope I can add my personal flare,” said Mr. Hark. “I love the theater, and any chance I get to be involved in our theater program is going to be exciting to me, but I want to keep the focus on the students.”

This is not the first change “The Nut-

cracker” has endured at Greenhill. Changing cultural sensitivities have resulted in characters like the “Chinese Dancers” and the “Arabian Dancers” being altered and replaced.

While the show itself has undergone changes, former Greenhill kindergarten students still remember its importance.

“I actually remember a lot of [‘The Nutcracker’],” said Katie. “I loved wearing the makeup. I had rosy cheeks and I got to be all cute which I loved. I still remember the dance.”

Seniors who participated in “The Nutcracker” when they were younger are invited to watch the performance. Many seniors like Katie are excited to see what they remember, but they are also excited to see some of the new changes that Mr. Hark will bring with his lively personality.

“I think that Mr. Hark will do a great job,” said senior Alec Becker, who also participated in “The Nutcracker” when he was in kindergarten. “From what I have seen the first couple months, he has shown so much school spirit and he really cares about the students. I am very excited to see what he does with ‘The Nutcracker.’”

wednesday, december 19, 2018

the

Evergreen

arts

(Glass)blown away

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Student Chas Bianco has a unique talent: glassblowing Emma Light

Social Media Editor

Greenhill eighth-grader Chas Bianco has been glassblowing since he was six years old, and recently completed his biggest project: a full chess set made entirely by hand. Each piece requires attention to detail and determination.

Some of Chas’s earliest memories include going to an art show with his parents to watch local glassblowers work. Ever since he was three, he knew that he wanted to pursue glassblowing as a hobby. Since his sixth birthday, he has been practicing his talents every Thursday with his glassblowing teachers at a local art studio, Mars Art. “The day I turned six, I woke up super early and said to my mom, ‘I want to go to a glassblowing lesson,’” said Chas. “She called the studio then and later that week I got my first lesson. I’ve been going ever since.”

Glassblowing is a technique that uses molten glass and air to form the hot glass into different shapes, such as dishes and sculptures. It takes lots of training and practice because the glass can break easily and cause injury. Before putting air into the glass, it can be as hot as 1,200 degrees

Photos courtesy of Chas Bianco

MAKING MASTERPIECES: Eighth grader Chas Bianco (right) has been blowing objects out of glass, including a chess set (top left) and a pumpkin (bottom left), since he was six.

Celsius.

Chas recently got a third-degree burn in the studio from a tool called the jack, which looks like a large pair of tweezers.

The tool is used to shape the glass and can reach extremely hot temperatures. Chas’s

arm accidentally touched the tool.

“I would say burns are the most common injury,” said Chas. “It is pretty easy to get burned with all the hot equipment around.”

Chas recently completed a thirty-

two-piece chess set, creating each piece by hand. He had been working on the chess set diligently for four months. It has been his favorite project thus far.

For another project, Chas went to Pennsylvania over Thanksgiving break to blow glass at the Pittsburgh Glass Center.

While he was there, he worked on the collection of 12 plates he is making. Each one is about the size of a dinner plate.

Chas said that one of the more challenging things about glassblowing is how heavy the glass feels when he blows into it.

He blows into the glass through a pole that can range from 7 to 10 feet long.

“Every foot you get further away from the glass, it feels two times heavier, so it’s extremely challenging to hold up bigger pieces,” said Chas. “A piece that is one pound can feel like eight pounds.”

In addition to his chess set and plates, Chas has made bowls, spheres and a collection of mini-pumpkins out of glass. Each item he makes takes time to build, shape and color. While glassblowing may risk injury, Chas said he has no fear, despite being injured in the past.

“I look up to so many famous glassblowers and definitely plan to pursue the art as a career one day,” Chas said.

Shaking up the set

Tech theater teacher Ben Phillips joins Fine Arts Department Tej Dhingra

Online Broadcast Editor

Ben Phillips wasn’t always behind the curtain.

“I was an actor, but when I went to college I had some professors who shifted my focus towards tech,” said Mr. Phillips, the newest faculty member in Greenhill’s Fine Arts Department.

Now, Mr. Phillips is drawing on the theater experience he gained in college and afterward in New York City productions as he teaches the technical aspects of theater at Greenhill.

His courses, which include Technical Theatre, address a vital role in the world of theater.

Recall previous Greenhill shows.

Cabaret. Our Country’s Good. Crybaby.

These Shining Lives. These shows would not have been successful or even possible without the group of students working on sound, lighting, set design and everything in between.

For Mr. Phillips, coming to Greenhill to teach was almost like coming home. He grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and attended Fort Worth Country Day School.

After high school, he went to Evansville University in Indiana, graduating in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in science and theater studies.

After graduating, he went straight to New York City to pursue his passion for tech theater.

“I was a freelance tech theater worker there,” he said. “I would contract with Broadway and off-Broadway companies as they would need people to come in and help build sets and do lights.”

He worked with New York City’s renowned Public Theater , the Roundabout

Theatre Company and an assortment of workshop productions. He also spent time helping to build sets at Pace University in Manhattan, which has one of the highest caliber theater programs in the country.

Mr. Phillips is excited to begin this new chapter of his life and has enjoyed teaching Upper School Technical Theatre, Middle School Technical Theatre I and II as well as his other technical theater classes offered during and after school.

“My initial impression was how young he was to be honest,” said sophomore Coryell Smith, a student in one of Mr. Phillips’s classes. “He’s a few years out of college, but it’s incredible how much he knows. In those years between working here and college, he spent time working on shows. I guess that goes to show how valuable real-world experience is.”

As he is just beginning his teaching career, he said that he finds himself creating his teaching methods and style as he goes along.

“The creation of my teaching style has been a really exciting challenge,” said Mr. Phillips. “I am figuring out ways that I can be effective and how I can get students to be engaged working with me. It’s as much a learning process for me as it is for the students. I think that is a good dynamic for teaching in general.”

One of his main hopes is for his students to appreciate technical theater for how different it is from core academic classes.

“I think what got me interested in tech theater and what kept me coming back was how hands-on it is,” said Mr. Phillips. “It’s very much a learn-by-doing craft, a concrete way that people can be a part of something abstract.”

Sports the

What does it take to be a captain?

Raag Venkat Features Editor

When sophomore Nong Busamrong walks into swim practice after a stressful day of sitting through classes, taking tests, presenting projects and more, he can always count on his captain to keep his energy high and push him to swim the best he can.

At Greenhill, captains of sports teams are essential because they embody the resilience and energy of their teams. However, there are often debates on the Hill about what the qualifications of a captain should be. One qualification is a must: the captain should be a leader that inspires the rest of the team to work their hardest and perform their best.

According to sophomore Aminah Asghar, while captains are important to a team for reasons like keeping teammates’ spirits high, the leaders have particular responsibilities that are essential to a team’s coherence. These responsibilities include being a team player and being able to work with everyone.

“As clichéd as being a ‘team player’ might sound, I feel it is one of the most important roles for a captain,” said Aminah. “Captains should be representatives of the team, but also be connected and coordinated with the team both inside and outside of when the sport is being played.”

Senior Megan Olomu, who has been a captain for three varsity sports— volleyball, basketball and track—agrees that a captain must be a team player.

“The biggest thing about [being a] captain is being able to bring the team together,” she said. “I’ve been on some teams that have had multiple factions within the team and [the captain’s] relationship with the team can have a huge impact on how a season goes.”

Another important qualification of a captain is to be someone who shows hard work and passion toward their given

sport, according to girls varsity basketball Head Coach Darryn Sandler.

“Too many players get consumed with having a title as opposed to focusing on being a good leader and a hard worker,” Coach Sandler said.

Nong, who is a part of Greenhill’s swimming team, also believes that a captain should be someone who always comes to practice energetic and passionate about the sport.

“Being passionate is the only way that a captain will be able to lead, but more importantly, inspire others,” said Nong. “Being vocal and energetic is also important because communication is vital in so many sports.”

Another issue is whether the captain of the team should be chosen by the coach, by the player’s teammates or both.

Coach Sandler believes that choosing a captain requires a combination of both the coach and the team. He lets his players vote for captains, but they must provide an explanation as to why they feel certain people should be captains. He makes the final decision based on both his thoughts and the players’ input.

“

Sometimes the coach doesn’t see stuff that happens off the court or during talks, discussions or huddles,” said Megan. “The coach can be aloof so they might not be able to choose the best captain.”

Megan and Nong believe that a captain should be chosen by the team.

They believe the team knows which players can lead them best.

Senior Hayden Gerard, a captain of the boys varsity soccer team, believes that a captain should be chosen by the coach because it allows the team to perform better.

“If a team chooses a captain, it could be someone who isn’t necessarily the best

Winter Sports Schedules Boys Basketball Schedule:

Girls Soccer Schedule:

1/5 vs. T.A.C.A

1/5 vs. McGehee School

1/7 vs. NPIRE

1/8 @ Trinity Christian Academy

1/11 vs. Cistercian

1/11 vs. Prince of Peace

Boys Soccer Schedule:

Swimming Schedule:

1/8 vs. Trinity Christian Academy

1/5 vs. Tex Robertson Invitational

1/11 vs. Cistercian

1/17 @ Greenhill School

1/15 vs. St. Marks

1/26 @ Greenhill School

Girls Basketball: 1/4 @ Prestonwood Christian 1/8 @ Dallas Christian School 1/11 vs. Ursuline

Photo courtesy of Hayden Gerard

AYE AYE CAPTAIN: Varsity boys soccer team captain, Hayden Gerard, runs up field to make a play on the ball in a game against the Home School Athletic Association.

player and could turn into a popularity contest,” said Hayden. “Coach-chosen captains are more efficient as the coach knows what they are doing and what the team needs.”

According to Coach Sandler, if teams have good leaders and followers, the captain tends to have a huge and positive impact on the rest of their team. They can inspire the team to be their best and

work their hardest as well as dictate how a season goes.

“I remember my freshman year of swimming and one of the captains gave me some helpful advice throughout the season,” said Nong. “He helped me improve my times and dives, making me the best swimmer I could be and that’s why I am so much better now.”

wednesday, december 19, 2018

the

Evergreen

The video side of varsity sports

sports

13

Teams incorporate video sessions into their daily practice to prepare for games Lane Herbert Features Editor

In the “team room” near the Upper School boys locker room, varsity athletes can be seen, pen in hand, studying the illuminated screen displaying film of their past games.

Varsity athletes spend numerous hours on the field practicing and playing games with the hopes of increasing their skill in their sport. But the time spent studying film of past games has drawn attention as varsity coaches and players have affirmed its positive benefits in increasing players’ knowledge of the game.

Every Monday during the fall season, the varsity football team gathered in the team room for a film session. The football coaching staff pieced together clips from the past Friday’s game and sent that film out to players over the weekend. The Monday sessions served as both a review of the clips from the last game and an introduction to the team’s next opponent.

Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) football teams are required to film each of their games and exchange that film with the coaches of opposing teams.

“The goal of our film is to provide concise snapshots for [players] to be able to see, with annotations or voice-overs, the things we want them paying attention to on film,” said Head Coach Casey Selfridge.

Coach Selfridge noticed that many players did not know how to study film and benefited more from short clips rather than multiple hours of continuous film. For football, the clips the coaches showed were specific to each player’s position, allowing every person to focus on improving their own game to maximize benefits for the team.

Technological advances have increased the opportunities for coaches to reach out and provide film specific to player and sport.

Photo by Jake Middleman

WATCH AND LEARN: The soccer team studies film to prepare for a game. Watching film is becoming increasingly popular in the Upper School as teams find aspects of their game to improve on while looking to exploit opponents’ weaknesses in upcoming matches.

Girls varsity volleyball coach Tatiane Deibert uses film in a similar way. Originally from Brazil, Coach Deibert played volleyball at the collegiate and professional level. Always looking for a way to improve, she studied film to understand what aspects of her game needed development. Coach Deibert uses the film to help her scout her opponent and devise a game plan.

During the first few weeks of the season, Coach Deibert will scout other teams and share a few videos with her players. However, the girls varsity volleyball team primarily watches film during “counter” season, when their matches affect the qualification and seeding for the SPC tournament. The team scouts an opponent’s tendencies, mechanics and best players’ abilities in an effort to prepare themselves for the offensive and defensive aspects of the game. Coach Deibert focuses specifically on what the team can do to throw the other

team off their game as much as possible.

“I tell my girls, ‘[Watching] the film is intended to make the other team uncomfortable,’” said Coach Deibert.

“We are going to take away what they are comfortable doing and try to make them do what they are not comfortable with.”

Girls varsity basketball Coach Darryn Sandler has a different perspective on the effectiveness of using film to prepare his players.

“I have found that our girls seem to be intimidated, more times than not, when they see film on good teams,” said Coach Sandler. “When they watch themselves as a team, they focus on silly things like their hair or the way they run.”

While Coach Sandler hasn’t found success in team film sessions, he did note that all the players have access to the film of their games at home. He believes that if players take advantage of watching

themselves on film, they can learn a lot about the game. This year, Coach Sandler is also incorporating one-on-one sessions with the players. These individual sessions are personalized to each player and allow the player to learn about the specific areas where coaches applaud them and those where coaches want them to improve.

“I think it is important that coaches show what their players are doing well on film and not just the things they are doing wrong on film,” said Coach Sandler. “They need to see both.”

Marta Higbie, a former University of North Carolina (UNC) field hockey player and current coach of club field hockey in Dallas, said her coaches at UNC made studying film an important part of their weekly schedules. The team would review film during their recovery days as the coaches talked about key elements they wanted the players to see. This time allowed the team to stay mentally engaged on their off days as they prepared for their next opponent. The players would even schedule weekly one-on-one meetings with the coaches to review their play from the previous game.

“I watch [film] from a macro level to look at things like field positioning during a match and then I also use film on a micro level to look at individual skills,” said Coach Higbie. “I learn best from seeing something, so if I can watch a skill on film, and even slow down the footage if I need to, it helps me see where I can make little tweaks to my positioning and alignment to better perform.”

Many different sports on Greenhill’s campus are joining the movement that supports the study and use of film to improve performance.

“I think it is important as a coach to understand your sport and where the opportunities for your kids to get better exists,” Coach Selfridge said.

New diving team begins competitions Riya Rangdal Design Editor

Standing at the end of the board, looking over the edge, sophomore Blaine Bowman knows that the only obstacle between a successful dive or a mistake is his mentality.

Welcome to the world of competitive diving, Greenhill’s newest sport.

Recently, Blaine and senior Alisha Nathani created a Greenhill diving team for them to compete in and learn the sport.

Initiated by Alisha, the team was created for all students who wish to compete in diving. Both Alisha and Blaine are new to the sport, having just started this winter.

“Alisha was originally asking some of her friends if they were interested in the idea of diving,” said Blaine. “I happened to overhear and said to her ‘Hey, can I do it with you?’”

The process of learning new dives and acclimating to a new activity has been a great experience for them.

Alisha also competes in club synchronized swimming, and that was where she first had the opportunity to take a diving lesson. Now she is able to apply some of the techniques she learned, but also expand on them.

“Ever since I started practicing for this [diving] team, I learned that there are little differences in form [from speed swimming], such as hand and head positions, that make this a new learning experience,” said Alisha.

Previously, Greenhill offered no opportunity to compete as a team in diving. There have only been a few divers who competed individually for the school throughout the years. Once Alisha

introduced the idea, the boys and girls varsity swimming coach, Patti Monzingo, and Head of Athletics Chad Wabrek found the money to hire a coach for the diving team.

“Greenhill currently pays for an outside diving coach, [and] it wasn’t a problem for the Athletics Department to do so,” said Coach Monzingo.

Once the team was created, Alisha and Blaine set their focus on learning the five basic types of dives, each with different motions and formations. Once they learn the dives, they must learn eleven new dives well enough to execute them in order to compete in meets and the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) championship meet on Feb. 16.

Their coach, Dan Pitts, has a long history of diving in Dallas. Coach Pitts was a diver at Southern Methodist University (SMU) from 2012-2016. As Blaine and Alisha’s coach, he looks forward to their performance in upcoming meets.

“I learned a lot from my coach while I was at SMU, so I’m very excited to be giving back to the next generation of divers,” said Coach Pitts. “Blaine and Alisha have improved a ton. This sport is challenging both physically and mentally and their ability to learn quickly and take coaching in a positive way has allowed them to improve over the past couple of weeks.”

On Dec. 6, Alisha and Blaine competed at their first diving meet. Blaine’s score of 232.70 broke the school record that had been set in 2010 by Dawson Ray, who had a score of 226.40.

“I was shocked about how much progress I made in such little time,” said Blaine. “I was originally worried because I

Photo by Jake Middleman

DIVING DUO: Blaine Bowman and Alisha Nathani (left to right) pose during a diving practice. The two are the only members of the new team, which is being coached by Dan Pitts.

felt unprepared, especially because I did not know what to expect.”

With all of the different types and specific dives that Alisha and Blaine are working on, the simple skills and little tweaks that are unique to each individual dive are what makes the sport challenging,

they said. This is where the mentality and will of the diver comes into play.

“Diving is all about the mentality,” said Blaine. “Having a positive mentality makes all the difference in jumping off the board and landing your dive.”

the wednesday, december 19, 2018 Evergreen Update on Class of 2018’s Division I Athletes

14 sports

Xavier Bryant

Sam Houston State University

Gabrielle Coben

Mason Marano

University of Pennsylvania Gabrielle Coben `18 left the girls lacrosse team last year having led the team to a Texas High School Lacrosse League (THSLL) title. She was a four-time All-State selection, fourtime All-Conference, three-time All-District selection and a three-time team MVP for the Hornets. Gabrielle is continuing her lacrosse career at the University of Pennsylvania.

“The level of competition is significantly higher in college than it was in high school,” said Gabrielle. “You are playing against girls who have been playing since they were three years old.”

Going from playing girls lacrosse in the Southwest Preparatory Conference to playing at the Division I level was very difficult, since the sport is still growing in Texas and it is currently very small, according to Gabrielle.

“The hardest part of playing Division I is the mental aspect of it,” she said. “The amount of commitment and dedication required to perform is very high.”

University of Delaware Xavier Bryant ’18 left his senior season of boys basketball having led the team to a third-place finish in the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) tournament.

Last season he graduated as the Greenhill boys basketball’s all-time leader in points, steals and assists. Xavier was named team MVP his sophomore, junior and senior season. Xavier started his Division I basketball career at Sam Houston State University this year, and he admires the high level of play at Sam Houston State. He noticed a large jump in the competitiveness as he transitioned from high school to college basketball.

“In college, everyone is just as talented as you, so you have to bring your A-game every time you step on the court,” Xavier said.

Xavier’s success in high school has continued into his freshman year at Sam Houston State. He has appeared in eight of nine games and has played a total of 44 minutes and scored twelve points as of Dec. 17.

Photos courtesy of Joe Monaco

Mason Marano `18 is continuing his lacrosse career as a Blue Hen at the University of Delaware. Last season, he helped the boys lacrosse team put together a winning season with a record of 12-6. Mason’s presence on the lacrosse team was always felt throughout his high school career, as he was named team MVP both his sophomore and junior year. Mason says that he had to step up his game as he transitioned to the collegiate level.

“It is a whole new environment for me; it was nothing like the level [of competition] at Greenhill,” said Mason. “I had never experienced playing with so many other talented players. They are always going to put us in situations that make us uncomfortable, and you have to learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.”

Story by Brent Ladin

Freshman boys make fast impact on varsity soccer Davis Gutow Asst. Sports Editor Every year, Greenhill’s sports teams deal with the loss of seniors and attempt to replace them with younger, yet equally strong players. This year, the boys varsity soccer team has had no problem with replacing the talented senior class that graduated—the result of an exceptionally skilled class of freshmen.

During the 2017-2018 school year, the boys gold soccer team— the Middle School equivalent to varsity— finished the season with an 11-0-1 record, beating several teams by ten or more goals and thoroughly dominating their competition. The eighth-grade leaders of that team have now moved up to Upper School soccer and are looking to continue that success.

The challenge is making the competitive transition from Middle School to Upper-School, a completely different game.

Freshman Spencer Jacobs is one of the players from last year’s gold team who is competing for a varsity spot this year. He said going from Middle School to varsity soccer is more than just playing against older kids; the transition is also about mentally and physically preparing for that level of competition.

“The level of competition has definitely increased,”

said Spencer. “The game moves much faster and is more physical than last year.”

This season, the boys varsity soccer team could potentially have up to eight freshmen contributing to the varsity roster during the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) “counter” games and playoffs. Varsity soccer Head Coach Gregory Krauss is impressed with the soccer skillsets and intelligence of his freshmen players.

“This year we have a group of freshmen that is more talented than any other group I have seen come through in the past eight years,” he said.

Coach Krauss said that most of the freshmen are either close or already ready to compete with the varsity team at this early stage in the season. Last year, only two freshmen made the varsity roster.

A few of the current freshmen participated on club teams in the past, which helped develop their skills and mental toughness by giving the students more practice and repetition against other competition. Spencer still plays for the FC Dallas club soccer organization while he plays for the Greenhill team.

YOUNG, BUT MIGHTY: Freshman players (above) contributed greatly to varsity boys soccer team’s 4-0 win against the Parish Episcopal School of Dallas.

While they have already made an impact in the soccer program this year, the talented freshman class still has room to improve and a lot of learning to do throughout the season.

Coach Krauss said he is excited for the young group and is

looking forward to coaching them this year and in the future.

“I think this group has the potential to grow into the core that could compete for a championship every year,” Coach Krauss said.

Photo by Jake Middleman

wednesday, december 19, 2018

the

Evergreen

senior columns

15

Three Rubins, only one Ross rossboss ross rubin journalism assistant

I spent at least three hours browsing the interwebs for a senior quote. While scrolling through Pinterest boards I kept running into a recurring theme. Be yourself. “How clichéd” I thought. I found almost every variation of that theme, from “Be-You-tiful” to “Be yourself, everyone

I don’t like a G6

hook (caro) line and sinker caroline simpson views editor

I used to live in denial that airplanes existed. Each time I entered one, I refused to think about how I was getting to my next location; ignored the facts and pretended I woke up there. It was certainly not about the climb, Miley Cyrus. Rather, very much about the destination. I despised the inescapable and untrustworthy flying machines that trapped you in the sky with 215 other strangers. In the fleeting moments that I

else is taken.” It wasn’t until that night that I realized the true meaning of this cliché.

I grew up in a family of five, with two older siblings. Both of my siblings were highly successful in high school to the extent that some might even call them Greenhill icons. As I made my way through Lower and Middle School I kept hearing the same exact phrase on my first days of school: “Oh, you must be the third Rubin… I loved having your older siblings in class.” Before I could even open my notebook, I was met with extremely high expectations. I kept asking myself if I could ever escape their looming shadows. Then I entered high school.

My freshman year, I decided to join every single club and extra curricular

activity to find my own personal niche.

I was determined to find my thing that I could stand out in. I was fed up with the constant reminders that my siblings were perfect. I became a part of so many different groups desperately trying to make my name stand out. I overwhelmed myself and wasn’t fully happy, but I had made a name for myself. Yet still I didn’t feel as I expected I would. I was drained and felt unfulfilled.

Then I made the choice to do things that only made me happy, tossing aside the need to “live up to expectations” or compare myself to others at all. I joined all of these random clubs and activities and still felt like I hadn’t measured up with them. I needed to find a creative outlet

where I wouldn’t feel like I had to live up to my siblings.

Joining the things that made me happy changed my life. I joined things like Improv and Evergreen that genuinely made me happy and gave me a place where I could create my own path without being in the shadow of an older Rubin. My advice is the following: Be yourself. Not in the clichéd sense where no one can judge you. Be yourself because if you attempt to live up to expectations and be someone you are not, you will feel unfulfilled and lonely. Join the activities and clubs that you care about and make you smile, and never let someone’s or society’s expectations overrule your own choices. Trust me on this one.

considered the truth that I was indeed on an airplane, my ‘overly active imagination’ would lead me to the conclusion that because the plane was tilted up slightly, the pilot was obviously an alien trying to hijack us to its planet by flying the plane into space.

The past few years I’ve had to travel on multiple airplanes alone. Before, my mother would always be there. In high school, however, I needed to fly by myself. I was pushed from my comfort zone into a place I had refused to let my mind enter. This push not only made me the independent woman I currently am but opened my mind to a brand-new way to look at the world with compassion, empathy, and curiosity.

At 18 years old, I adore airplanes. I believe airplanes are magical. Two hundred-fifteen strangers enter a huge vehicle, two more strangers steer them around in the clouds, and suddenly you’re across the world. It’s magic.

My appreciation for airplanes began when the only seat left on the plane was between two 70-year-old men. As soon as I landed in the seat, they began to chat with me. At first, I was frustrated by their prying questions, but moments later I found myself laughing. We began to tell stories about our life experiences and joked like old friends.

I didn’t even notice the take-off or the pilot speaking. Their teasing kept my mind from falling back into the routine of fear.

Then, a storm hit halfway through the flight and I was terrified. I could see lightning outside the window, and the radar on my phone showed a monstrous tempest.

They quickly realized I was frightened and began telling me not to worry, that everything would be okay, and by the end, each had a hand on my shoulder until I felt better, which I eventually did.

I felt better because of the empathy and kindness of two strangers. When the flight

ended, we got our bags, wished each other luck in life, and never saw each other again. I don’t even remember their names.

I do, however, remember their intense compassion. I have learned from them. I take every experience as a chance to share my compassion, to empathize with someone who needs it and be kind to all. I realized kindness makes every experience and interaction magical. It made a girl who hated airplanes look forward to each trip. Today, I look out through the plane’s window and search for miracles in the clouds instead of problems in the airplane. My fear has transformed into curiosity and excitement. It has shifted my attitude from hood on and earplugs in to smiling and eye contact with strangers. I aspire for my compassion to shine through me like it did those two men sitting in those Southwest Airlines seats as turbulence shook the plane, but more importantly, shook through my perspective.

everything as good as I can.

If you’re familiar with the culture of Spain and many other European countries, you can probably guess how my natural tendencies resonated with my host mom and the locals when I first arrived in Zaragoza, Spain, where I spent my junior year. It didn’t take long for me to pick up on how commonly locals used the phrase “no pasa nada.” Translated to English, it basically means that nothing will happen, or not to dwell on the small things. This phrase is the perfect way to describe the general attitude of most Spaniards because they live their lives as if nothing is really that serious and as people we should learn to take life more lightly.

After hearing the phrase so often, I soon picked it up myself and eventually

tried embodying it by living with a more lighthearted mentality. I would go hang out with my friends at the park or go to a party on a Friday night instead of staying in to do work like I typically would in Dallas. At first, I felt weird about doing more things that made me happy and less stressed out. I soon realized how much meaning it gave me to dedicate some time to building deeper friendships and taking advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime experiences I was being presented with. Living with a shifted mindset also made me think about the contrast I felt with who I was in Spain in comparison to who I was back home.

I found myself the happiest I’d ever been and upon getting ready to return home, I became worried that my happi-

ness and shift in perspective on certain things would return back to the way it was before. I did not necessarily view the way I thought about things before as a bad thing, but I knew that I liked myself better when I lived in a “no pasa nada” mentality because I wasn’t causing myself unnecessary stress.

On the long plane ride home, I decided to make a list of the things from my year abroad that I wanted to take home with me, with “no pasa nada” at the very top of it. Embracing the lessons I learned during my time abroad and continuing to embody them has been a difficult but rewarding endeavor since returning to Dallas, and living as carefree as I did in Spain comforts me when I miss my life there.

No pasa nada

i mira rock on every block mira jungerman news editor

Throughout my life, I have always been known as and thought of myself as a perfectionist. Not necessarily in a bad way, but I am the type of person who cares about even the little things being perfect, spending too much time trying to make

16 backpage

the Evergreen

wednesday, december 19, 2018

Photo courtesy of Julia Graham

Have you ever felt bad that you don’t include the most important member of your family on your annual Christmas card? If you love dogs, Christmas and happy times, we have the perfect place for you. If you don’t, that is so sad! But seriously, this is the best place ever, you get to take 10 to 15 pictures with Santa and your dog(s). They will even dress your dog up with a Christmas scarf or bow! Operation Kindness is hosting this special event at The Kindness Klubhouse only 15 minutes away from Greenhill. No excuses not to go!

Photo by Mira Jungerman

Cozy up with your besties and watch your favorite Christmas movie! Our personal favorite is “The Holiday” (who doesn’t love Jude Law), but there are plenty of others to choose from if separate plots aren’t your thing. Some of our other all-time favorites are “Elf,” “Home Alone,” “Love Actually” and “Four Christmases.” If you’re really feeling it (we were), take a trip to the grocery store and buy some Christmas cookie dough to bake. That way, you’ll get the full Christmas-themed evening experience! The hardest part is choosing from the endless options: sugar, Christmas themed, classic Pillsbury chocolate chip or premade frosted cookies.

Story by Mira Jungerman and Caroline Simpson

Photo from Flickr

Klyde Warren… a classic Dallas spot. Everyone loves it, especially at this time of the year with their massive Christmas tree. This park is the reigning champion for largest outdoor Christmas tree in Dallas and, if you decide to pay a visit, it’s the best area to make a whole night out of. With food trucks, trendy restaurants and outdoor seating areas, this is the most festive Christmas event in the metroplex! Check it out for yourself and tell your friends, but don’t forget a coat! It’s chilly but you won’t regret it!